(Stamford, CT – February 6, 2012) – Chelsea Piers Connecticut is pleased to announce that it has partnered with three world-renowned female athletes to run sport-specific summer camps for children. Soccer phenomenon Kristine Lilly will offer the Kristine Lilly Soccer Academy, hockey great Angela Ruggiero will offer the Angela Ruggiero Hockey School, and Squash legend Natalie Grainger will run summer-long squash camps at Chelsea Piers Connecticut.

Former Olympian, Ruggiero will kick-off Chelsea Piers Connecticut summer camp with a week-long ice hockey camp July 9-13. The full-day camp will be open to girls ages 6 to 14. Ruggiero’s teaching philosophy is simple—every player is different and is to be treated as an individual. Each player will be exposed to the different aspects of their respective positions and will be encouraged to incorporate the skills learned into their own style of play.

Lilly brings the Kristine Lilly Soccer Academy (KLSA) to Chelsea Piers Connecticut, where she will coach a one-week KLSA camp August 6 -10. The full-day camp will be open to boys and girls ages 7 to 13. KLSA camps are dedicated to providing campers with an opportunity to develop as individual players within a disciplined and unselfish environment. The goal is to encourage players to respect the integrity of the game while continuing to nurture their love for soccer. Sessions will focus on skill development, field awareness and team play. KLSA at Chelsea Piers will be divided into two age/skill groupings to allow for maximum learning. Campers will also benefit from off-field cross-training and daily recreational activities. Kristine and an expert staff of coaches will lead all soccer instruction to offer an unparalleled soccer experience.

Grainger will run weekly Racquets Camps in addition to Elite and High Performance Squash Camps. Players that have a U.S. Squash National ranking or play on their school squash teams can register for intensive one-week sessions designed to help players improve their game through basic technique and drilling skills, fitness development, and fun match play. Coaches provide the same advanced coaching and training techniques that elite level pros use to help players succeed. Grainger will lend her coaching and training skills to all squash and racquets camps throughout the summer.

“The facilities at Chelsea Piers Connecticut are ideal for training children in soccer,” commented Lilly. “The indoor fields, off-field cross training capabilities and recreational periods allow for a comprehensive, full-day program that can cater to every level of soccer player.”

“Having retired from hockey this year, I am thrilled to be able to coach girls in hockey – a sport that has given me so much,” commented Ruggiero. “The facilities and mission of Chelsea Piers Connecticut are exactly the sort of thing that I am excited to get involved with.”

“The squash facility will be the best in the area, and I am so excited to further develop the robust squash community in Fairfield County. Our summer camps will provide an opportunity for young players to improve while being part of a much greater multi-sport program,” commented Grainger.

“This collection of female athletes – Kristine, Angela and Natalie – are some of the very best their sports have ever seen,” commented Mollie Marcoux, Executive Director, Chelsea Piers Connecticut. “We could not be more excited to offer local female athletes this truly unique camp opportunity. All three women are not only among the world’s most talented, but they are all ambassadors for their respective sports and most importantly, they are ideal role models for young athletes.”ANGELA RUGGIERO

Four-time US Olympic Ice Hockey Player Angela Ruggiero grew up in Los Angeles, California and Harper Woods, Michigan. She graduated Cum Laude from Harvard University, where she was an NCAA First Team Academic All-American as well as one of the top eight student athletes in the entire NCAA in 2004. A star player on the U.S. Olympic Ice Hockey Team, Angela won a Gold medal in 1998, a Silver medal in 2002, a Bronze medal in 2006, and another Silver medal at the 2010 Olympics. She was the first woman non-goalie to play professional men’s hockey in North America, playing for the Tulsa Oilers alongside her brother, Bill, and also earning a place in the Hockey Hall of Fame as the first brother-sister duo to play pro hockey together.

In 2010 Angela was elected to a highly regarded position as a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes’ Commission. In addition, Angela serves as a board member on the United States Olympic Committee.

KRISTINE LILLY

Lilly grew up in Wilton, CT, graduating from Wilton High School in 1989. She went on to play at University of North Carolina, winning four national titles during her four years at the University. She secured a spot on the U.S. Women’s National Team while still in high school and was a member of the team for 24 years. Lilly retired on Jan. 5, 2011, as the world’s all time appearance leader with 352 caps. She hung up her boots at age 39 as arguably the game’s most accomplished player. Lilly scored 130 goals in her career and played in five FIFA Women’s World Cups (the only woman to do so) and three Olympic Games, helping the USA win four of those tournaments. She currently resides in Wilton, CT, with her husband and two young children.

NATALIE GRAINGER

Grainger, Chelsea Piers Connecticut’s Racquets Director, is the current #1 women’s squash player in the United States. Grainger has been at the top of the sport since she began competing in 1994 as the youngest player selected for the South African National Team. In 2000 Grainger became one of the top 10 players in the world and notched the #1 spot in 2003. Grainger has won 22 titles on the WISPA Tour. She is a three-time US Open Champion, five-time US National Champion, a two-time National Doubles Champion, and a Pan American Games Gold Medalist. Grainger still competes for the United States in World Team Championships and Pan American Games. Off the court, Grainger served as the President of WISPA for eight years, retiring from that position in 2011. She also is a US National Coach and member of the board of Squash Haven, an inner-city youth enrichment program operated at Yale University. Grainger resides in Greenwich, CT, with her husband.

ABOUT CHELSEA PIERS CONNECTICUT

Chelsea Piers Connecticut (CPCT) is a 400,000-sq-ft state-of-the-art sports and recreation facility located in Stamford, CT, just off I-95 at Exit 9. Slated to open in July 2012, Chelsea Piers Connecticut will consist of seven core sports facilities encompassing more than 18 sports.